The tale of a Father and his Soon-to-be-Son-in-Law
by Ramblepedia
Summary: While Kurt sleeps, the two men who love him most have a chance to talk. Set at the hospital during Bash.


I wrote the base of this a long time ago (like...three weeks after the episode aired) and its been kind of floating around untouched since then. Someone requested I write some Kurt-Carole around the episode but that wasn't working out so in apology I polished this up to post it. Its mainly Burt-Blaine and their love for Kurt. Set in the hospital about two days tops after that little bit of heart wrenching that was Blaine curling his little self up with Kurt in that hospital bed. (It made me cry ok.)

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><p>Blaine's arm was secure around Kurt's waist as they shuffled back to his room. Burt had his thumbs in his pockets behind them, keeping an eye on the two kids. No matter how old they got, they'd always be kids. Kurt let out a little groan as he swayed. Burt started to dive at the motion, but Blaine was two steps ahead of him. His other hand tucked up to grab Kurt by his shoulder as he shifted the man a bit closer to the wall. Kurt's free hand reached up to press against it and stabilize himself.<p>

"How're you feeling?" Blaine whispered.

"I don't feel like I'm about to throw up for once," Kurt replied. "I'll call that progress. Everything from my neck up hurts though."

"That's because the morphine is finally leaving your system," Burt told him. Kurt's nurse swooped in around Blaine to get some water for him to take with his medicine. Including his new pain pills which were supposed to be gentler for his stomach. All the other men could do was hover as Kurt settled himself down. "I'll be right back." Burt clapped Blaine on the back of his shoulder. "Do you want some coffee?"

"No, they don't have anything I like here," Blaine said. Burt shrugged and went to get something from down the hall.

"Thank you," Kurt offered the nurse as she pulled his blankets up for him. He let his aching head sink back into the pillows. Until she left. Then he pushed himself back up.

"Kurt!" Blaine let out, running to his side. The man's eyes clenched shut for a few seconds, then he shifted himself over in the bed and reached up to pull on Blaine's shirt. Blaine didn't need to be told twice. He settled down beside his fiance. "We're going to get in trouble for this."

"I don't care." Kurt shifted onto his side so he could rest his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"They'll kick me out and not let me see you until you're released."

"They wouldn't dare. My dad would give them hell. Did you hear him getting into it with a nurse that tried to say you weren't family?"

"I did."

"We'll be fine." Kurt yawned. "I am so sick of sleeping." He'd barely spent more than twenty minutes awake at a stretch since he'd been brought to the hospital. He wanted to blame the medicine but this new stuff was also supposed to be non-drowsy. They were trying to prep him for release. That was why they made him walk around so much. Which only made him want to sleep more.

"Just give in," Blaine whispered. "The more rest you get now the faster you'll heal." Kurt fished around on his little table until he got hold of the TV remote. He promptly offered it to Blaine.

"In case watching me sleep is too boring for you."

"Never." Kurt was clearly still fighting off sleep, but Blaine had a secret weapon. He started to hum. That was the last straw. Kurt's eyes dropped shut. Blaine didn't let up on his musical assault until the song was over. Kurt let out the tiniest of snores to let him know he was out for the count.

"Asleep already?" Burt chuckled as he returned. He'd brought a second coffee anyway. "You really look like you need one." Blaine motioned to the table and Burt didn't argue.

"Thanks." Blaine's thumb ran gently over Kurt's arm. He held the remote out to Burt with his other hand. "He thought we'd get bored but...I don't think so." Blaine glanced back down. He really could spend hours just appreciating the life sleeping against him. The sound of Kurt's breath, the feeling of his weight, and every noise he made.

"I think he underestimates how interesting he can be," Burt chuckled, setting the remote down beside the coffee. "Though this has kept him pretty quiet." Before the nurses had started making him walk around, he would wake up and chat everyone's ears off. And while he'd thought going for casual strolls would be an easy task, it turned out to take a lot of his concentration. Which kept him from talking. Especially when they got back to the room.

"I hope you don't mind but...he's kind of relying on you yelling at the nurses if they try to kick me out for letting him do this." Burt clenched his jaw to keep from laughing.

"We'll just tell them its good for his health. I know you won't move even if your arm falls asleep, and I heard about this study some years ago. They looked at babies who weren't given human contact and those babies were much more likely to suddenly die than babies who had contact. Its a mental thing. And the way I see it adults aren't much different. We get healthier quicker when we're around people we love. I know I did."

"That just might work." Blaine let his fingers run softly down Kurt's arm. There were no bruises there. It was safe to touch. One of the few places that was. He wanted so badly to run his fingers through Kurt's hair but he was too scared to risk it. When Kurt was released he was already planning to give him a full massage. He was going to rub down ever sore inch of his body that he could. Anything to make this just a little bit better. Nothing could make it go away but he could make it better.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you." Blaine felt a wetness around his eyes. He'd almost started crying.

"I'm still scared."

"Me too."

"I never in my life imagined I would get a call like that. They didn't know his condition then. They." He took a deep breath. "They couldn't tell me how bad it was, if he was going to make it. If he did make it if he'd be himself or lose everything. They didn't even know what had happened." All Blaine wanted was to kiss all of Kurt's injuries and just make them go away. Burt moved closer to the bed.

"No one expects that call. At least this time it wasn't…" Burt couldn't finish his sentence. He knew Blaine had a rough childhood himself. He'd never been told the most important person in the world to him was dying - though that night had come close - but he had been the reason a call was placed, once upon a time, from a hospital emergency room. All Burt knew was that Blaine had been transferred to Dalton because of gay bashing. The way the kid knew his way around the hospital and its rules suggested he'd been in one for a time himself. Burt could put two and two together.

"...Have you heard from the police?"

"No. I mean, yeah, I called and asked if anything was happening, but they haven't had any luck. They'll call us if and when they need us."

"I wonder if they're taking this seriously." Burt clenched his fists.

"They better be. Didn't those men almost kill another kid?" Ok, so there was no way to be completely certain they were the same ones. But the whole pick-up truck thing was suspicious. There had most likely been one involved in the last attack and Kurt said he could clearly remember seeing one. Though when pressed he hadn't been able to confirm if it belonged to his attackers or not. He couldn't remember anything after the brick hit him.

"Wouldn't be the first guys to get away with it." There was a deadness to Blaine's eyes. He was trying to stay apathetic because if he allowed himself emotions he knew he was liable to start crying. He couldn't do that. His chest would start shaking and that's where Kurt's wounded head was currently resting. He couldn't hurt Kurt.

"Did they ever catch yours?"

"No. We could even tell them who it was but there wasn't proof so they got away." That confirmed it at least. Burt could see Blaine's hand tucking around Kurt's arm, fingers holding on as though Kurt was going to be ripped away from them at any moment.

"He's going to be fine." The elder man pulled the chair close to Blaine's side of the bed and let himself sink into it. "You're going to be fine too." Blaine's eyes snapped over and in an instant were filled with salty tears. "I'm sorry for what happened to you." Burt pointed to his jacket. He'd affixed the rainbow flag there. "I promise I'm doing everything I can to make things better. Not just for Kurt. No one should be treated like that."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Its what any decent person should be doing." He paused to take in a long breath. "There's a difference in this case you know."

"Well, yeah, Kurt isn't their only victim."

"Not that."

"Then what is it?"

"They messed with Hummels." Blaine chomped down on his lip to keep from laughing.

"Careful, I don't want to disturb him."

"He's completely out of it. He won't wake up until someone makes him. Especially if you keep talking."

"How so?" A conspiratorial grin spread on Burt's face.

"He'll probably be mad at me for telling you this but he once said that when he had a hard time sleeping he'd play back your recordings. Anything with your voice on it. Especially when he first moved to New York. You soothe him."

"I soothe him?" Blaine looked down to his love. The man did look more peaceful now than he had before. When he was sleeping in the bed by himself his face was constantly scrunched up. Blaine had thought that was the morphine. It had been making Kurt feel sick, so they switched it. But even then he hadn't looked this relaxed.

"He's going to be ok." Blaine hadn't realized he'd been tearing up again. "As long as you're here, I think he'll be fine."

"I didn't handle it well. Last time. I mean, when-"

"That makes sense Blaine."

"I keep thinking about what happened. How I felt, how long it took to heal. I've been looking up recommended counselors here in New York, just in case Kurt needs it. Just to be ready for anything."

"I've been looking around too. I don't suppose you have any recommendations for what else I need to do?"

"Just keep a safe place for him. I mean, back in Ohio, in case he needs to get away. When I was attacked I would sometimes skip school and stay in my room. It just felt safer there. I just needed a place where I could be ok. I know he has a lot of places here where he can go but I also know he definitely felt safe in your house. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so comfortable at home. He feels safe with you."

"Then I did a good job as his dad, huh?" Kurt's fingers curled suddenly, digging deep into Blaine's shirt. His brows stitched up. Blaine tensed up but Burt sprung to action. He took the hand up in his own and held it tight. "You're ok son. We're here." It was just a bad dream. It abated in moments.

"I really hope I'm a dad like you someday."

"Nah. Hope to be better. Though I did set the bar pretty high." He rubbed Kurt's hand. His son settled down again, back to peaceful slumber. "You two are going to be great." His other hand reached up to rub Blaine's shoulder. "I'm lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yeah. How many dads get to not only have one amazing son, but have the chance to have an equally amazing step-son, and then a wonderful son in law as well?" Blaine reached his hand up, just for a moment, to pat Burt's hand.

"I'm going to love being a part of your family."

"And we're going to love having you."


End file.
